Watercolors, acrylics, or crayons, whatever medium you choose, this simple fall leaf painting activity is perfect for exploring negative space art. You can even use real leaves! Get creative with art this fall or autumn by exploring the negative space outside of the image.
Fall Leaf Painting
Supplies:
- Printable leaf template below (or try real autumn leaves too!)
- Paint (or see other medium choices above)
- Brushes
- Black glue, paint, or a marker
- Canvas or cardstock or any heavyweight paper
What else can you use for your negative space art?
It’s up to you!
- Watercolors!
- Oil pastels!
- Crayons!
- and _________?
💡 Click on the image below or on the link for more fun leaf art and crafts for kids.
How to Paint Fall Leaves
STEP 1: Download and print out the autumn leaf template.
STEP 2: Cut out the leaves and place them on the canvas or cardstock.
STEP 3: Hold the leaf down on the canvas as you paint around the outline, pulling outward along the edges. Repeat this process around all of the leaves.
STEP 4: Paint the entire canvas (or paper) around the leaves. Squeeze the paint directly onto the canvas (or paper) and blend.
STEP 5: Outline the leaves when the painting is dry. Use black paint, black marker or even black glue.
Grab our fall leaf art template pack to get started!
What is Negative Space Art?
Negative space in art is the space around and between the subject. In a typical image, the subject is normally shown in color and the space around them is left blank (white), thereby forming a silhouette of the subject.
In negative space art, we reverse the tones so that the space around the subject is colored and the subject itself is left blank. This is called figure-ground reversal. The artist M.C. Escher is a great example of an artist who used negative space in many of his artworks.
More Art Projects for Kids
Printable Fall Art Project Pack
This Fall Art Project Pack includes everything you need —just add art supplies! It’s perfect for kids of all ages to enjoy using a variety of techniques. Whether in the classroom, at home, or with groups, there is a fantastic variety of art activities to try!
Find all the instructions and templates necessary for over 40 art projects this Fall.
Apples, pumpkins, leaves, Halloween, and Thanksgiving!
Explore process art, STEAM, and even famous artists with these very doable art activities that won’t break the budget or the time you have available!
